Recent content by nikh

Hand files. This really applies to any edge tool. Once you have used a good one, there really is no going back. Plus the pile of aluminum curls that a sharp vixen file makes is somehow deeply satisfying.

I hate to say it, but for the $3 the HF grey plastic rails are just fine, the clips are a bit brittle if you drop them when they are full, but for the money, I won't complain.

Hello everybody. I know that some might turn their noses up in disgust at the very idea of cutting up or otherwise modifying a tool to do a specific task. But, I have run into situations where that is the only way to get the job done, or at the very least make my life way easier. So I'd like to...

What about the possibility of making one. Brass is pretty easy to work, and you could make whatever size or shape you wanted. I have made a few of them over the years, from both brass and copper.

Soft silver solder, 1-3% Ag really isn't much harder than just a basic lead/tin solder, and I suspect it would be too soft to machine well in conjunction with the cast iron. My worries would be either tear out from the bond with the iron or iron chips getting embedded in the softer areas...

I like the idea of brazing, but I think soft solder might be too soft in the long run. Another option could be to use an epoxy of sorts. Something along the lines of epocast 934 or hysol ea 9330. Both bond extraordinarily well to metal and are tougher than a woodpecker's lips. The 934 is an...

For air tools, Atlas Copco and Dotco, specifically for drills and die grinders. Hand files, I really like the Simmonds red tangs. Cordless tools, Makita all the way.

I bought that set last year, the ratchet was ok, aside from being huge for a 3/8. It was nearly as big as an old SK 1/2 round head. I ended up giving it away when i found Omega roller ratchets in 3/8 drive. They are in the lower left of the picture.

I bolted an extruded aluminum socket rail to the back of one of my drawers and have them sorted by length. It keeps things in place and nicely visible if any are missing while being fairly dense.

For my money, its no contest. The williams is the way to go, double the sockets of the SO set for a third the price. If the 36 tooth ratchet becomes an issue take some of the $350 that you didn't spend on the socket set and get a higher tooth count ratchet. Don't get me wrong, the SO and...

Thanks for the replies. I must have missed that part of alloy artifacts. I'm still trying to figure out the manufacturer of the cutters, perhaps someone out there has a set that have not been rebranded like the screwdriver. Or perhaps I am mistaken in the thought that they exist.

Hello again. I'm in the middle of consolidating some of the many boxes of tools in preparation for a move, and I came across some interesting old craftsman tools. First is an offset standard screwdriver with the circle F stamp. From what I have been able to find, it was made by Miller Falls...

I have changed organizational schemes and even boxes a few times in the past few years, it takes a bit of time to train yourself where everything is. That being said, once you have things set up the way you want, it will save you time and frustration. Unless you have all of your tools shadowed...

A handful of old 3/8 drive, S-K 12 point swivel sockets to fill in a set. 3/8, 7/16, 11/16, and 3/4

I am a big fan of the Proto double box set PN: JSBV-8S. Of the five different sets of ratcheting wrenches in my work box, they get used most often. They are sort of a mid length and have about the smallest heads of any ratcheting wrenches I have found. Plus the 7/32 is great for -5 Hi-loks and...